Goodnight Story
by Shamelsshussy
Summary: Bette and Tina and Angelica spend their first night back together after the events of S5E11


Two cars pulled into the driveway, one right behind the other, headlights picking out details

Two cars pulled into the driveway, one behind the other, headlights picking out details. Porch steps. Curtains. A bloom blushing on a bush. Glints of reflection from the pool. Home.

There were sounds, but not much talking. Car doors chunked open and shut. Click click clicks as Angelica's car seat belts were released. The rustle of diaper bags and briefcases. Beeps from cell phone messages left unchecked. Happy nonsense whispers from the baby.

Just through front door, life was both familiar and impossibly strange. Bette and Tina stood there for almost a full minute, facing each other. Silent. Adjusting. Incredulous.

And then a small cocky smile quirked a corner of Bette's pretty mouth. An answering grin spread slowly across Tina's face. And then there they were, standing in the doorway with coats on and a squirming baby, laughing at the ludicrous beauty of their situation. In that moment they were not contrite about where they had been. Their sordid, sad, sloppy, singular past had brought them to this moment, and they were giddy with the possibility of what they might become. Together. Again.

Angelica caught the giggles from them. Bette and Tina both turned to her, and gazing at her chubby cheeks, in the echo of her sweet baby laugh, life was recalibrated. Useful things could be said. And done. Starting with taking their coats off.

Bette took Tina and Angie's jackets to hang up, while Tina settled Angie on the couch to take off her shoes.

"Are you hungry?" Bette called over her shoulder from the closet.

"Yeah, starving. I didn't get a chance to eat today."

The jackets taken care of, Bette wasn't quite sure what to do with her hands. The house was different with all three of them there, with a family in it. Surfaces seemed to be at a slightly different height. Items she had not noticed in a long while reasserted their presence. Bette was suddenly, irrationally, afraid she might accidentally break something. She shoved her hands in her pockets tried to affect a nonchalant air.

"I can make us dinner…"

Tina heard the notes of insecurity in Bette's voice and looked up from a stubborn knot in Angelica's shoelace.

"I would love it if you would make dinner. Thank you," she said with a reassuring smile.

"And I," Tina continued, "will get Angelica ready for bed."

She gave up on the shoelace and yanked the shoe off without untying it. Picking up the baby, she walked toward Bette.

"Then you and I can have dinner and…" Tina placed a soft kiss at Bette's jaw line, "relax." Bette grinned. Minutes passed. And she stood still, thinking of nothing. Devoting herself instead to fully experiencing a new and filling sensation. Happiness.

The sound of water running for Angie's bath roused her. "Dinner. Right. Dinner. "

Opening the fridge, Bette realized that her plan for impressing Tina with a healthy, delicious, stunningly presented meal was out the window. Between being out of town for the physically and emotionally grueling Pink Ride and the dramatic day with Jodi today, the mundane task of grocery shopping had fallen by the wayside. A wilted head of lettuce and some leftover brown rice were the most edible things the fridge had to offer.

"I'll just have to prove my prowess in other areas this evening." Bette thought as she pulled a premade gourmet pizza from the freezer and stuck it in the oven. Making sure the timer was set for 20 minutes, Bette applied herself to choosing a bottle of wine.

In the bathtub, Angelica was splashing happily. Tina knelt at the side of the tub, supervising and providing appropriate sound effects for the boats and rubber ducks. Tina had been surprised that Bette allowed such garish plastic toys to interrupt her tasteful bathroom décor. But there they had been, blues, red, yellows. Awkward shapes on a shelf. Not even curated, just neatly piled, awaiting Angelica.

Tina let the baby play, hoping the warm water would calm her down, make her sleepy after this long day full of strange energies. Angie plopped a boat into the water with surprising force, and the resulting splash reached Tina's clothes.

"Let's try and keep the water in the tub, ok babyface?" Tina quickly stripped off her damp things and threw them in the hamper. She grabbed a fluffy robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door, knotted the belt around her waist and knelt again by the tub.

"Now let's wash your hair and get you to bed."

"Sleep here?" Angelica asked, surprised.

"What sweetie?" Tina answered, distracted, rubbing shampoo into the child's hair.

"With Mama B?"

"Oh…" Tina let out a soft sigh. She hadn't considered that Angelica might be confused by the confluence of what she had come to know as completely separate homes. Mama T putting her to bed at Mama B's house might be blowing her little mind.

Tina filled a cup with water. "Tilt your head back sweetie. Eyes closed tight." She poured the water over Angelica's hair, rinsing away suds.

"Yes. We're going to sleep here. You and me and Mama B." Tina couldn't keep a big grin off her face. "Its nice to be together, right?"

Angelica yawned and nodded. "Together."

Reaching for a towel, Tina marveled at the power she and Bette had to create Angelica's world. To change it.

The thought sobered Tina as she wrapped Angelica in the towel and lifted her out of the tub. She bit her lip, and stopped moving, lost in thought.

"Mama?" Angie patted Tina's cheek. "Mama?"

Tina came back to the present and turned to face her daughter.

"Yes Angelica?"

Angelica took her mother's face in her hands and brought her lips to Tina's cheek.

"Sweet baby." Tina thought, expecting a kiss.

"Pppthppppht!" Angelica went with a raspberry instead.

Tina gasped in mock shock. In retaliation, she tickled Angelica through the towel and carried the squirming, giggling kid into the hallway, toward her bedroom.

Outside Angelica's bedroom door, they ran into Bette coming from the master bedroom. She had changed into a light gray tanktop and a pair of loose black pants. Her slender fingers were gathering her hair into a ponytail, exposing the graceful curve of her neck.

"Bette…" Tina's breath caught on the exhale and the name came out a sigh. She loved seeing Bette in power suits, feeling the warm press of her body through a silk blouse….but Bette in casual clothes could positively undo Tina's sense of propriety. Bette didn't have to make a show of control. Without any effort, the elegance of her power in repose was intoxicating.

"Ladies…" Bette flashed Tina and the baby a suave smile.

"Mama B!" Angelica crowed joyfully and wiggled around in Tina's grasp.

"Hi boo…" Bette stepped in close and dropped a kiss on Angelica's forehead. "You smell nice."

Angelica's cheeks bloomed with a happy blush, and she nuzzled into her mother's kiss.

Bette moved another step closer and placed a kiss on Tina's forehead too, lips lingering as she reveled in the mingled scents of Tina's hair, perfume, lipstick, fingertips, breath.

Bette bent to place a kiss at Tina's earlobe. "You smell nice too."

Bette's mouth moved against the delicate arc of Tina's ear. Warm breath, the flick of a tongue. A nibble.

A delicious chill ran over the nape of Tina's neck. She had to lean against the doorjamb. Reaffrim her grip on Angelica.

Bette stepped back and enjoyed watching Tina attempt to collect herself. "I should check on dinner. I'll come back to give you a goodnight kiss Angie."

Tina and Angelica stood in the bedroom doorway, watching Bette go. The baby rested her head on Tina's shoulder. "I love Mama B."

Tina leaned her cheek on Angelica's head. "Me too."

Moving down the hall, Bette heard them, but not their words. Felt their gentle murmur floating, following her. And she knew that she was loved.

In the kitchen, Bette forced herself to focus on ordinary tasks, not ready to fully consider the implications of the extraordinary way this evening was making her feel. She checked on the pizza, and finding it done, turned the oven down to "warm." She gathered dishes, napkins and silverware, and set the dining room table for two. She picked up the bottle of wine, which she had left breathing, and poured a glass for her, and one for Tina. Bringing the glasses with her, she walked back to Angelica's room.

Bette opened the baby's door slowly, silently, not wanting to disturb Angelica if she was already asleep. Peeking around the door, she saw the lights low, the glass mobile Bette had hung in the nursery twinkling in the dim, Tina on the edge of Angelica's new big girl bed, reading a picture book in a low hum. And in the midst of all this calm, Angelica, wide-awake.

At the sight of Bette, she perked up even more. "Come, Mama." She stood up in bed and held out her arms for a hug.

Bette put the wine glasses down on the bureau and sat down on the other side of Angelica. "Sorry T,' she apologized as she hugged the baby. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

Tina closed the book she had been reading and put it on the nightstand. "Thanks." But you didn't. She's wired."

Bette loosened her grip on Angelica and leaned back, giving the girl an appraising look. "Are you wired?"

Angelica shrugged.

Tina leaned back against the pillows. "I think Angelica is very excited about having two mamas home all night long."

Bette watched Tina in the dim light. The robe she had put on was tied loosely, and her every movement revealed and concealed landscapes of skin. A glance of the swell of her cleavage. a glimpse of the silky planes of a thigh, the enticing rill of her collarbone…It was Bette's turn to raise an eyebrow. "This _is_ very exciting."

Turning to Angelica, she continued. "Which is exactly why you need to get to bed."

She picked the child up and settled her back down under the covers. Angelica safely retucked, Bette walked to the bookshelf and picked out a new book. "Clearly we need some heavy artillery tonight. Time tested tactics."

She handed the book to Tina and sat down on the other side of the bed. Snuggled between her mamas, Angelica gave a huge yawn and relaxed as Tina began to read.

"_In the great green room_

_There was a telephone_

And a red ballon

_And a picture of-_

_The cow jumping over the moon…"__  
_

Within a few minutes, Angelica was nodding off. Her eyelids fluttered shut, long lashes coming to rest against her cheeks. She wriggled around to a more comfortable sleeping position, lying on her stomach. Bette rubbed her daughter's back in soothing circles, and Angelica slid deeper into sleep.

"_Goodnight stars,_

_Goodnight air,_

Goodnight noises everywhere."

Tina closed the book and turned off the bedside lamp. Bette stopped moving and let her hand rest, palm open, on Angelica's back. She felt the rise and fall of Angelica's gentle breath.

Tina reached over and covered Bette's hand with her own.

The only light now was the small glow of Angelica's nightlight. But Tina was close and Bette was watching her closely. Tina opened her mouth, and a soft exhale of breath made it "I". The tip of Tina's tongue darted out to form the L in "love", her bottom lip against her teeth for the V, and a pout for "you", almost a kiss, to end the sentence.

These days there was dull ache always inside Bette, a never absent physical craving for Tina's presence. The ache now tightened, tying itself into a knot.

In one motion, without letting go of Tina's hand, Bette was off the bed and standing, tugging Tina up after her.

"Come."

Bette's touch was firm, her gaze insistent, and Tina caught her urgency. Hand in hand, they moved quietly through the door, quickly through the bright light of the hallway, plunging again into the dim, closing the master bedroom door behind them.

Tina pulled Bette to her, the momentum bumping her back against the bedroom wall. Bette stumbled but caught herself with a hand against the wall, the other at Tina's waist. Their lips met in a bruising kiss and Bette moved to untie the loose knot that held Tina's robe closed. Suddenly exposed, Tina was cold for a second, a feeling quickly replaced by fiery trails Bette's hands left on her skin, roaming over her shoulders, her arms, her back, down over her ass, gently squeezing, then lower again, and back up, Bette's nails dragging lightly over the backs of Tina's thighs.

Tina pressed her mouth to Bette's ear.

"You want me," her voice was a warm, ragged whisper.

Bette lifted her gaze to meet Tina's. "I need you," she corrected.

In Bette's eyes, Tina saw love, steady and soft. But the shape of Bette's mouth was pure sex. Tina recognized that set of the lips, the way Bette moved her tongue when she was throbbing with desire. And then there, the way she cocked her head, the slight hitch in her breathing. That was Bette's fear, her more than physical need for Tina. Her delicate breakable hope for this family.

With the complete, complex Bette standing before her, Tina was filled with a dual sense of power and protectiveness. She pressed her lips to Bette's forehead.

"I love you."

Tina's hands found their way under the hem of Bette's tank top and lifted it over her head. She bent her head to nibble on Bette's neck.

"I love you." Tina repeated, her words buzzing against Bette's jugular vein.

Bette left out a soft gasp of pleasure, and Tina moved her hands to the drawstring of Bette's pants. The pants slipped down to join Tina's robe at their feet.

Tina spoke again, pouring her words into Bette's mouth now.

"I love you. I love you. I love you."

And they tumbled into bed, falling endlessly into each other.

--

Almost two hours later, they were still in bed, hair tousled, sheets tangled. Multiple orgasms had tired them, calmed the rush of passion to tenderness. But they didn't want to stop touching each other. They lay naked and entwined, whispering onto each other's skin.

Bette felt a burst of energy and kissed her way down Tina's neck, licked between her breasts. Tina's skin was salty with their mingled sweat. Bette laid her head on Tina's abdomen, and listened to her lover's blood pump. Then, above the muffled rhythm of Tina's heart, a loud rumble of complaint from Tina's stomach.

"You're hungry."

"Ravenous," Tina admitted.

Bette slid back up to the head of the bed and took Tina in her arms. "That's sexy, say it again."

"I'm rrrrravenous Bette," Tina played the bombshell, rolling the r and arching into Bette's embrace. She bit Bette's shoulder. "Feed me."

Bette disentangled herself from Tina, laughing. "I made pizza," she said, getting up from bed to find clothes. "It's been in the oven on warm this whole time. Hopefully it's still edible."

Tina moved to get up, but Bette shook her head. "No, you relax. I'll get it, we can eat in here."

Tina lay down again, curled around a pillow. "You never used to eat in bed. The crumbs."

Bette loved the sight of Tina naked in her bed. Their bed.

"Fuck the crumbs."

Tina noticed Bette's eyes on her and stretched languorously, showing off.

"You've turned into a wild woman. Can we have wine in the bedroom now too?"

"I'm the wild one?" Bette stopped in the middle of pulling her tank top down, and gestured to the hickeys and bites Tina's mouth had left on her breasts, the scratches Tina's nails had left on her shoulders and biceps. She bent and kissed Tina's head. "Wine too."

Tina raised her face to Bette's for a quick kiss. "I'll miss you."

Bette stepped into the hallway, and the brighter lights made her blink. It was only in these moments of small discomfort that Bette could even be sure this night was real. She smiled, thrilled at the reassurance that she wouldn't wake up from this dream.

Quietly, Bette crept down the hall and into Angelica's room to retrieve the wine glasses she had left on the dresser. She stood for a minute and watched her daughter sleeping peacefully, whispered "I love you Angie." and then tiptoed out again.

In the kitchen, Bette put the wine glasses on a tray, along with the bottle she had left on the counter. She took the pizza from the oven to survey the damage. It looked dry but not completely inedible. She broke off a piece of crust and tried it. She shrugged and washed the mouthful of crust down with a swig of wine that had been sitting out for two hours.

"Mmm. Gourmet." Bette's sarcasm was lost on the empty kitchen.

Bette attacked the crispy pizza with a pizza cutter. After some aggression on her part, the pizza yielded. Adding pizza, plates and napkins to the tray, she headed back to Tina.

In the bedroom, Tina had been busy, re-making the bed and pulling on one of Bette's old t-shirts and a pair of shorts. She looked marvelously cute, Bette thought, laying on her stomach, leafing through a gallery catalog that had been left on the bedside table. She looked up when Bette entered the room.

"Food. You're my hero." Tina sat up and scooted to the head of the bed.

"You might want to hold off on the accolades until you've tasted it." Bette looked doubtful as she handed Tina a plate and a napkin.

Tina bit into the pizza. Her face betrayed surprise for a minute, but she persevered. Swallowing, she gratefully accepted the glass of wine Bette was holding ready for her. After a gulp, she grinned up at Bette. "Uh. Yum? "

Bette laughed, settling herself at the foot of the bed with her own plate, and glass. "Well at least it's not as tragic as what happened to that stir fry..."

"Oh god." Tina took another sip of wine. "We need to make some rules about sex and cooking."

"I don't know T, knowing us it might be easier just to get rid of the stove." Bette considered taking another bite of pizza, but thought better of it and put the plate on the floor by the bed. "Angie will be damned to a lifetime of takeout, but at least we won't burn the place down." Bette smiled at Tina, enjoying the thought of Angelica growing up, even if her only nourishment came from Chinese food containers.

Tina was hungry enough to brave another bite of pizza. "This is amazing."

Bette crinkled her brow.

"Not the pizza." Tina clarified. "This. Us. Being here. Promise me this is real?"

Bette didn't say anything, but moved closer to Tina, until they were both sitting cross-legged on the bed, their knees touching.

"My day was so awful. But being here with you…" Tina chuckled at herself. "It sounds so trite. But it's true. Being here with you makes all that other nonsense seem a lifetime away."

Bette put a hand on Tina's knee, caressed her silky skin.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Tina gave up on the pizza and put her plate on the bedside table. "I don't even know where to start. It was surreal. Adele had this sex tape of Jenny and Nikki in that ridiculous tent. From the Pink Ride."

"She what?" Bette had been expecting a typical crazy Jenny story, or maybe budget stress. "A sex tape?"

"I know! She called a meeting and played it for everyone. Jenny was there, it was horrible"

"Wait. Adele? Jenny's assistant?"

"I told you Bette. Surreal." Tina took a sip of wine. "I'm not even going to get into the details. But Adele's basically blackmailing the whole production. She's in charge now."

"What the fuck?" Bette's disbelief was overshadowed by anger. This was Tina's movie.

"Bette, I'm not telling you this to get you upset." Tina finished her wine and put the glass down. "It's bizarre, but I've heard of crazier things happening on sets. It's my job to make sure filming goes on. It's my job to make it work." Tina put her hands on Bette's strong shoulders and kneaded gently.

At Tina's touch, Bette relaxed. "I know you'll make it a great movie Tina. I just hate that this is trouble for you. I wish I could fix it. I even feel bad for Jenny. Jenny! She's done a lot of…questionable things in her day…but what does Adele have to be so vindictive about?"

Tina sighed "Oh, I've given up trying to figure out Adele's motives. Its more important that I learn to react to her in a way that keeps us under budget."

Bette lay her head in Tina's lap and looked up at her, eyes shining with admiration. This new side of Tina, competent and in control, was extremely appealing.

"I just wish I could have done something to help you today." Tina said, running her fingers through Bette's hair, "I'm sure your day was even worse than mine."

"It was really hard, T." Tina didn't respond, just kept stroking Bette's hair, fingertips smoothing over Bette's forehead.

"I have a shitty tendency…compulsion…to make myself look good. I wanted to take responsibility. I meant to. But I talked her in circles. I obfuscated. I…" Bette stopped.

"What is it Bette?"

Tears welled up in Bette's eyes. "I let her kiss me." A single tear escaped, met Tina's fingers resting at Bette's left temple.

Tina eyes locked on Bette's. Her gaze was steady, no hint of anger.

"I stopped her before… Well. I stopped her. But. It was so hard to make her understand."

"She didn't want to understand, if it meant losing you."

Tears coursed freely down Bette's cheeks now. "I should have said something a long time ago. I knew what I felt for you. But I never thought you'd really trust me again. And it hurt too much to hope…So I just tried not to. I thought if I pretended long enough with Jodi that it would become real one day. And I feel terrible for doing it, because she deserved so much better. I was cruel. Because I knew she would never be enough for me. Because she could never come close to you."

Tina bent her head to Bette's and kissed the tears away.

"Baby. You weren't trying to be cruel. We just…we both made mistakes. And I'm sorry Jodi got hurt, I really am."

Bette watched Tina's mouth turn down at the corners, her eyes blink away tears of her own.

"Tina, no. No. Please don't be sad. I'm just angry with myself. I wish I were a better person. I'm trying to be a better person. But I can't be that person without you. And I'm so happy that we're here, whatever it took. Putting our beautiful daughter to bed. Eating this terrible dried out pizza. Laughing. Making love. I'm still reeling from the fact that this is possible. And I'm just thrilled and excited and terrified to see what we make possible tomorrow. Together."

Bette sat up and brought her lips to Tina's. They were exhausted, and this kiss was sleepy and slow. They continued kissing as they lay down together, entwined in each other's embrace. Tina sucked dreamily on Bette's bottom lip, loving the taste of wine on her mouth. Unhurried, Bette flicked her tongue against Tina's top lip. There was no urgency. They knew they'd find each other there in the morning.

They fell asleep together, their kisses turning into their dreams.

And then, the quiet even breath of sleep was the only sound in the house. A warm, graceful beat that seemed to say,

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.


End file.
